The vast majority of oral care products on the market today are synthetic or comprise a majority of synthetic ingredients. Some synthetic ingredients are carcinogenic when presented in high dosages or concentrations. Others induce allergic reactions in many people. In some instances, ingredients can substantially increase the occurrence of apthatos ulcerations. Accordingly, there is a trend toward natural, organic products not only in foods but also in oral care products such as mouthwash and toothpaste. The present invention relates to a new and unique organic toothpaste or dentifrice which performs as well or better than synthetic toothpastes but contains none of the risks inherent with artificial and synthetic oral care products. The product described contains significant levels of natural substances that will help to control the oral bacteria that are associated with many larger health issues (heart disease, stroke, abnormal pregnancy outcomes, etc.) The toothpaste according to the invention contains saponin which acts as a surfactant to produce adequate foaming for cleansing the teeth.
xe2x80x9cNaturalxe2x80x9d toothpastes are well known in the oral care industry. For example, toothpaste containing baking soda has been used for many years. A major drawback of the prior xe2x80x9cnaturalxe2x80x9d toothpastes is that they do not perform satisfactorily. That is, a high concentration of baking soda is required to provide adequate cleaning. However, such high concentrations are distasteful and overly abrasive, thus the baking soda toothpastes on the market have insufficient quantities of cleaning agent and high concentrations of flavoring to make them acceptable to consumers.
It is known to use saponins in personal care products such as cosmetics as shown by the Grollier et al. U.S. Pat. No. 4,800,080 and scalp lotions as shown by the Cecic et al. U.S. Pat. No. 4,508,714. In addition, it is known to use yucca extract as a deodorizing breath composition as disclosed in the Michel U.S. Pat. No. 4,167,559. However, it is not known in the relevant art to use saponins as the primary cleansing ingredient in toothpaste.
Accordingly, it is a primary object of the present invention to provide an organic toothpaste comprising a mixture of natural ingredients and 0.01-10% by weight of saponin as a surfactant foaming agent. The saponin is preferably derived from Quillaja or Yucca and is refined to a content of 50-100% from Quillaja or 30-100% from Yucca.
According to a further object of the invention, the toothpaste includes 30-60% by weight of vegetable glycerine as a moisturizer.
According to a more specific object of the invention, the natural ingredients include one or more of the following: calcium carbonate for a whitener/mineralizer, distilled water for a moisturizer, aloe vera for soothing irritated gums, silica for a whitener/mineralizer, baking soda for an acid neutralizer, Irish moss for a thickener and to soothe irritated gums, peppermint for flavor and breath freshener, Manuka oil for an anti-bacterial agent, grapefruit seed extract for an anti-microbial agent, and green papaya for a cleanser,